


Redemption

by Asa_Meda



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Animal Abuse, Gen, Graphic Description, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-20
Updated: 2016-04-20
Packaged: 2018-06-03 11:08:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6608392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asa_Meda/pseuds/Asa_Meda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is one of those burst stories I think of driving to work and just spill onto the page.  Yes, I will be working on the other story but this one kept scratching at me.  It's a kitten story.  It's more a character story than anything to do with the series.  The beginning is not pretty.  I've owned cats since I was twelve... forty-four years ago.  Right now Lois and I own nine... mostly special needs (blind; deaf or somehow disabled) kitties.  One we have now was badly abused and is only now learning to trust.  It amazes me how cruel some humans can be, not for a supposed purpose but just for the hell of it.  So... promise a good ending but the bad stuff comes first.</p><p>Hope it's enjoyed for what it is. </p><p>I should say here that I'm a big believer in redemption though not all aspire to it...</p><p>Comments welcome...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Redemption

**Author's Note:**

> Oh... I was a bad girl because I just had to post. Some may have found glaring typos and hiccups. I've corrected what I could and apologize if it bothered...
> 
> :-)

It was one of those... things. One of his servers, Angela, mentioned a cat outside in the alleyway, crying for food. She thought it was a beautiful cat, all orange with hardly any stripes of white. He told her to give it whatever it wanted but not to let it in. He liked cats well enough but didn't fancy himself a lover of animals. Most of them growled and ran from him anyway. But he wasn't going to let one stave right next to his place.

But as things happen the cat, a bright ginger one, ran in one day when the back door was not fully closed. In her moment of obvious disorientation, she spotted him and before he could react, jumped on the kitchen counter and purred. It was so different. Animals ran from him, feared him. But this one wanted his contact. Hesitantly he touched her... her. She was very thin but her belly was big... pregnant. Lucifer could sense the growing beings within her. Four. Yet she had hardly any fat on her. They needed food... she needed food. He decided then he would make sure she got the food, maybe even make a place for her here...

"What is that?"

Maze. His new friend became alert and hissed in Maze's direction then ran for the door, which was still ajar... and was gone. Lucifer sighed and glared back at his demon who looked awkwardly guilty. He thought about saying something nasty then stopped. The feline could see them as tney really were... not human. She seemed to understand Lucifer but Maze was too strange. She had babies to protect after all.

But the ginger cat did not disappear. She remained in the alley where servers fed her... Lucifer fed her. He tried to invite her back in but she would only twirl around his legs and chirp at him, unwilling. So he got her a small plastic dog house and filled it with rich material. He put it in a small alcove between two back doors and faced it inward in so she would feel secure. To his delight she made it her home and he decided to name her Lilith.

A few weeks went by and one day one of his servers reported hearing tiny mews from the little house. He went outside and looked best he could without disturbing her. He sensed all four little creatures had been born and could hear Lilith purring a storm, feeding them he guessed. He told his staff to double the fresh cold cuts they had been putting out and make sure there was plenty of water for the little family. He began to make inquiries about getting them off the streets, at least the kittens when they were old enough but for the moment they seemed safe...

 

But nearly a week later, a terrible scream filled the air. Lucifer knew the sound. Terror... pain... terror. Lilith. He rushed through the back door of the Lux to be greeted by the smell of smoke and two boys standing around Lilith’s place. One boy saw him and ran. The other was too busy trying to get Lilith off his arm. He was screaming now too as the cat bit and tore into him. Lucifer heard tiny cries emerge from the little house... from where the smoke came from. He moved quickly to the tiny house. He could smell petro and burning flesh. Tiny cries began to fade and he reached in to grab, his hand coming out with only one ball of fur. He reached in again, and pulled out another, but it barely squeaked as it died. He tried again but his senses told him the other two were dead. Gone to be with his Father...

"Fucking cat!"

Before Lucifer could move the boy, really nearly grown, had a knife out and began plunging it into the feline who continue to bite even as she cried out in pain. But it was over in the blink of an eye and the attacker threw Lilith, now dead, to the ground. "Fucking bitch cat!"

Lucifer grabbed him, his rage growing to a burn. Behind him he knew Maze was standing and without thought he reached back and gave her the still living creature he saved for safe-keeping.

"Hey... it was just a cat!" the abuser defended, pain and outrage clear in his features. Seventeen, Lucifer gleaned as he met the other's gaze. Little empathy for others. "Man, she attacked me... I'm bleeding!"

"Yes, you are," Lucifer agreed. From what he saw of the wounds, stitches would be required. "That was a mother cat and her kittens you and that other one just murdered!"

Now clearly nervous, the young man snickered. "So... just a cat... Jack and I were just having a little fun! Who cares about them!"

"I do!" Lucifer tightened his hold, careful not to do more physical damage, his mind racing to find the right punishment. He glanced down at the now lifeless body of a cat he had grown quite fond of, had thought to somehow adopt. Her beautiful orange fur was marred with blood, open wounds and burns. She fought bravely. He suspected his Father would have a special eye on her in Heaven as He did all heros. "Her name was Lilith and she had four babies," he growled. "You are a parasite!"

Now the abuser seemed to realize the danger. "Hey, I'm sorry! Didn't know she was yours... just some stupid cat no one cared about anyway!"

Lucifer smiled. The punishment settled in his mind. "Do you know what it feels like to burn?" His prey shook his head. Lucifer allowed his real self to surface, his rage to find outlet. He placed a hand on the young man's cheek.

Terrifying screams emerged. "Stop! Don't! It hurts, man! Don't!" He tried to claw at Lucifer's hand, dripping his blood everywhere. "Stop!"

Lucifer let his victim go. As the young man continued to cry out, his hand covered his injured cheek then snatched it away with a hiss. "That's what it feels like."

"I'm gonna to call the cops!" The young man back away from him, ready to run. His bloody, scratched hand smeared blood as he wiped at his face then hissed again at his own touch. "I'm going to sue you!"

"Go then," Lucifer told him, satisfied. He allowed his true form to emerge. "Tell them what you did." He grabbed the young man once more and pulled him close, close enough to kiss. "I've placed a mark on you," he informed him as his fingers grazed the uninjured skin, ignoring the pain it caused. The parasite's mind was open to him now, as something beyond terror wafted into human's soul. "Every time you look in a mirror the mark will be there... every time you touch it the pain will return." He smelled the familiar odor of urine, saw the glazed appearance in the young man's eyes and knew his point was made. He threw him to the ground and gave the parasite no more thought as it ran away.

"Lord."

Maze. Lucifer drew a deep breath, letting his human form wrap back around him. He turned around. Maze stood by the open back door, her eyes unusually moist. She had grown to like Lilith. In fact during this past week, the mother cat had accepted food from her without growling or hissing. Tiny steps toward acceptance. Now gone.

"mew"

Tiny creature... Lilith's spawn. Lucifer saw the dark fur spotted with bits of orange. Tortie. Female. Her ears were tiny, her eyes still closed. She cried.. hungry... traumatized. He took her into his own hands. She was wet... smelled of gasoline but somehow was not burned. But the gasoline alone could kill her. "Need to get her washed off," he murmured as he walked back into the Lux and quickly went to the sink. With care he wet the creature down. He thought to use soap but realized that would be just as toxic. The kitten mewed frantically, upset and uncomfortable. Lucifer tried to project some comfort to her as he rinsed thoroughly. Then he walked over to where clean table napkins lay and wrapped her up. "Maze, take her please. I'll take care of... Lilith."

Maze was quiet as her hands held the young kitten close, trying to warm. Lucifer went back into the alleyway and did what needed to be done. There was still the terrible smell of burnt flesh and other materials but there was hardly any smoke emerging from the little house now. With brave souls departed, it was that kind of silence, empty. He gently picked up Lilith and put her in her little home with her three kittens then brought the whole thing in. He found an empty box from a recent delivery and placed the house in there then sealed the box. Later... much later... he would bury her and her kittens... somewhere nice.

"Lucifer, she's too quiet."

He took the kitten. Lilith's spawn was indeed quiet, no longer seeking out food or comfort. Lucifer cursed. This one was dying too. "Look after the bar, Maze," he commanded as he rushed out of The Lux to his car and sped off toward an emergency vet. This tiny life was not going to leave this plane of existence this soon...

 

Ten minutes later he was at one of the finest emergency pet hospitals in the area. He had called ahead so at the door the kitten was taken from him. He had tried to give her a little of his energy. But animals were funny... so unlike humans. Their souls didn't always accept as easily as their life's rhythm beat a bit differently. Two minutes later he was called in to the exam room and asked to wait. It was an empty room with a silver exam table, lighted panels for x-ray film and comfortable chairs. He wanted go further in, to see Lilith's kitten. But he knew he should not interfere if the little thing was going to get help...

"Mr Morningstar?" A dark, middle aged woman in white jacket thrown over casual clothes walked in fifteen minutes later, her dark eyes looking him over as she approached with an outstretched hand. "I'm Dr. Marsha Cook. You brought in a kitten?"

"Yes." He shook hands with her, sensing she was a good human, caring and concerned. He knew the Lilith's kitten still lived but nothing else. "I rescued her... some parasites killed her mother and the others."

Disgust moved over Dr. Cook's face. Rage. Lucifer was tempted to tell her it was all taken care of but held back. She wouldn't believe him. "Well the little one is about 8 days old... very small. I suspect she's the runt. But sometimes they can be the biggest fighters."

"What's wrong?" He wanted to see the kitten, hold her. 

Dr. Cook sighed. "I'm told she had... gasoline on her. It's very toxic. It's a good thing you rinsed most of it off but we gave her a proper bath. She was very lethargic but now I think it's because of the trauma rather than poisoning. Little ones like that can be very sensitive and she's a little behind in development than her siblings were I suspect." She eyed him. "She is going to be all right. Her mother did all the right things, but she's very young. I want to send her to a rescue to be bottle fed and weened then put up for adoption if that's all right with you."

"No." His words were automatic. He needed to care for her as he didn't her mother. "I can care for her."

Dr. Cook smiled kindly. "I believe you want to but I'm not sure you know what's involved, Mr. Morningstar."

"Lucifer," he corrected.

Greying eyebrows rose but Dr. Cook continued. "She will need to be bottle fed every two hours without fail. She'll need to be encouraged to urinate and excrete for at least another couple of weeks or so until she's walking and can do it herself. She'll need to be handled and cuddled to humanize." She cocked her head. "She's going to need a lot of attention even after that to be a healthy kitty. Now I know you're a busy man with a night club. I don't know if you'll be able to devote that kind of time..."

"I'll have help." Maze... even Chloe and Beartrice... some of his servers... Angela was the one who started feeding Lilith to begin with. Lucifer didn't know how he was going to tell the sensitive young woman that Lilith was gone and how. "Just show me what I need to do."

Cook studied him a few more seconds then gave in. "All right. She needs a bottle now so I'm going to let you do it... and stimulate her bowels. If I can see you have a handle on it, she's yours to take. Follow me."

He followed. The kitten was on a pile of towels sitting on a heating pad. A vet technician watched her as the little one's head and body moved weakly but steadily, her head bobbing as quiet mews escaped her. Dr. Cook and her assistant gave him a tiny bottle and showed him what to do. Everyone, including Lucifer, seemed to sigh in relief as the kitten latched on and nursed for all it was worth. At the end the tiny creature seemed satisfied and started to go to sleep in Lucifer's hand. But the vet showed him what else he needed to do... put the tiny one on a small towel and gently rub, just as her mother would clean her. The result wasn't pleasant, but acceptable. And afterwards the kitten nibbled at his sleeve as she fell asleep, content.

Lucifer didn't think he had experienced anything so... precious in thousands of years. Dr. Cook was satisfied and gave him all the supplies he needed, an appointment to return in a week and a cell number he could call her with if there was a problem.

"Do you have a name for her?" the vet asked as he was leaving.

"Lux," he told her. Lux. That's where she belonged.

 

So weeks... then months... then years passed. Lux turned out to be very smart and well-mannered. She became the mascot to most at The Lux and a comforter to Lucifer and others she decided were family. As a very old cat she was a queen and Lucifer treated her as such. Then one day... twenty-two years later the frailty of being mortal claimed her. Chloe hugged him as he wept... not having cried since a time long forgotten. Trixie, now grown and married, was an artist and made him a hologram of Lux when she was in her regal glory. Maze helped him bury her, in the place her mother and siblings had long ago gone.

Then Lucifer thought and made a decision. He searched and found the one who had started this. Raymond Thomas. Now grown... with a husband... and a business that made Lucifer curious. He took a drive and coerced a guard to let him through the gates. He rode down the long dirt road, passing penned in areas and fields of grass and trees. He stopped in front of a cabin and got out as a man came out, his expression curious about the unknown visitor. He was a little taller than Lucifer remembered, filled out, seemingly healthy and strong. But as their eyes met Lucifer could still see his mark, the scar of remembering the crime he had committed. 

"Holy shit!" Thomas took a step back, ready to run. "I didn't do anything! How the fuck did you get in here!"

Filthy mouth, but Lucifer ignored it. "Came to see how you were doing." He hoped the man's partner was not in. He wanted this to be a private chat. "Lilith's kitten just passed away... she got to be quite old."

Raymond Thomas frowned. "So?" His scarred hand came up to his cheek as if remembering, but drew away before the skin could be touched. "What the fuck do you want!"

Lucifer shrugged. "Told you, came to see how you were getting on." He looked around. "You're one of the few that have surprised me."

"Get out of here!" Thomas backed up a few steps, his eyes glinted with fright. "You're the Devil and I want nothing to do with you."

Lucifer smiled casually. "Oh, you stopped having that choice a long time ago, Raymond. Your life has been mine for the last twenty-two years." In fact, Raymond Thomas' crime streak did not end that night. He continued his petty crimes well into his twenties... then changed. Lucifer's eyes caught something in the shadows in a fenced area a few yards away to his left. A Siberian Tiger, beautifully white with black markings, wandered up, obviously curious. Alive and healthy... so few of them left now. Thomas had stopped being a parasite and had starting working for an animal rescue where he met his current spouse... George Douglas, a man who owned a sanctuary for abused and abandoned wildlife. Between them they turned what had been a few dozen acres where they were limited as to what they could do to help others into the thousands of acres it was now, able to help hundreds of animals thrown away by others. 

"What the hell do you want!" Raymond had backed up to the door of the cabin, clearly terrified. Lucifer heard a low growl and glanced aside to see the tiger now eyeing him warily, seemingly protective. Lucifer smiled.

"Seems redemption can happen every so often." Lucifer took a step towards Thomas. The tiger within the fenced area roared and he could hear the mighty animal try to climb the tall fence. He hoped the fence was tall enough. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to... let you off the hook as it were." He met the man's eyes and let his mind touch the human's, freezing him in place. "I'm here to take back my mark. You long ago earned your way out of Hell."

Thomas swallowed hard. "No."

Lucifer stopped his progress, surprised. "No?" He blinked, released the man from his power. "Why?"

Raymond seemed to realize he could move again and stumbled. "I told George... when we met... what I did." He licked his lips, his eyes downward. "We almost broke up. Then he... forgave me. He said I had a way with animals so I must have changed."

Amazed, Lucifer stared at him. "And that's why I'm here. You're no longer bound for Hell... why should you want the mark?"

Thomas shrugged. "To remind me why I'm here," he said, his voice more confident, calmer. Even the tiger's roar had muted to chuffs. "I was an evil person... but I'm not now. I give a shit about these animals. And I don't want to forget why."

Lucifer took in his words, still amazed that some humans were able to transform themselves so thoroughly. "You're a unique human, Raymond Thomas," he declared as he gathered himself to go. "You should remember that too." The man said nothing but met his gaze, held his stance. Lucifer nodded and got into his car and left, admiring the elephant he saw roaming with her calf in another fenced off area. It was a beautiful place. He would have to remember to set up an anonymous fund when he got back to make sure this place continued even after Raymond and his husband passed on.

"Father... does that mean I have a chance at your redemption?" he muttered into the wind as he drove.

 _You've always had it,_ the wind seemed to whisper back....


End file.
